Favorite Recipes: Hard Ground Senefelder's Asphaltum thinned with turpentine. Start with some of the thick asphaltum in a jar. Add small quantities of turpentine and mix each increment until smooth before adding the next, until you reach a consistency you like, probably around 2 parts turpentine to 1 part asphaltum. This is easy to apply with a foam brush and forms a very even coating. Allow to air dry, and then warm the plate to harden it. You can also thin with paint thinner or a combination of turpentine and paint thinner.  To transfer graphite lines to a coated plate, you need a hard ground so the paper won't stick in it.  If you're using other techniques that don't require a hard ground, you can soften it by adding some Vaseline, as described in the next "Soft Ground" recipe. A softer ground is of course easier to needle lines in, and a soft ground is easier to lift than a hard ground.  For pressing things into a soft ground you usually want a very thin layer of ground, whereas you can use a somewhat thicker layer for doing lifts; though in both cases you want as thin a layer as you can use and not get foul-biting.  These ingredients (turpentine, paint thinner, Vaseline, and asphaltum) are mutually compatible and won't harm rosin aquatints. Soft Ground Senefelder's Asphaltum, Vaseline (petrolium jelly) and paint thinner.  Put about 1/2 cup of paint thinner in a jar and dissolve 1 level teaspoon of vaseline in it.  A bristle brush or one of those dime-store plastic brushes works well to get the Vaseline to dissolve in the thinner. Add asphaltum in small increments until desired consistency is reached; probably not more than a tablespoon of asphaltum. More asphaltum for a thicker coat, less for a thinner greasier coat.  Apply with a foam brush.  Turns dull when air-dry. Sugar Lift This was posted on the MTSU Bulletin Board (http://frank.mtsu.edu/~art/printmaking/wwwboard/index.html) some time ago.  Sweetened Condensed Milk.  I got a can (Borden, "Eagle Brand" fat free sweetened condensed milk) and experimented with it, and it does make an excellent lift medium.  Thin some with water to a brushable consistency and use for standard lift-ground technique. Prepare small quantities - it gets mouldy. Refrigerate. Add watercolor or dry pigment if visibility is an issue. Important note about Paint Thinner Not all paint thinners are equal.  In the US what I'm talking about is generically referred to as "mineral spirits".  The most commonly available type is "Odorless Mineral Spirits", and the less comonly available (but still available) type is labeled "Paint Thinner". I use "Klean-Strip" Product #GKPT94002, made by WM Barr & Co. Inc., Help Line 1-800-398-3892.  The Odorless Mineral Spirits is less toxic and works fine for many applications but does not work as a solvent for asphaltum-based grounds which are to be mixed and stored for future use. "Paint Thinner" is noticeably more stinky, but works as a solvent for quantities of asphaltum based grounds. When using either of these, use only as necessary and ensure good ventilation and disposal of wastes.